Vehicle-wheel.



No. 766,926. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. C. N. BEAL. VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 2a, 1904. no MODEL.

UNITnb STATES .Patented August 9, 1904.

PaTiLNT Chinon.

VEHILE-WHEELT .SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,926,dated. August 9, 1904.

Application filed January 28,1904. Serial No. 191,028. (No model.)

To 1J/Z whom, it 'nwty/ concern:

Beit known that I, CAnnoLL N. B EAL, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicleWV heels; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-wheels, especially to elastic,resilient, or rebounding wheels, such as are employed forautomobilecarriages driven by motorsor engines, and to Vcertainimprovements in such wheels, as herein explained and illustrated bydrawings that form a part of this specification.

My improvements consist in a wheel provided With three elastic andresilient members, the main one an annular' pneumatic cushion disposedaround the nave of the wheel, sealed and incased by metal to preventrupture, longitudinally-movable spokes between this central resilientcushion and the rim, spiral springs around these spokes for purposeshereinafter described, an elastic but non-extensible outer tire toresist centrifugal and lateral strains; also consists in variousconstructive and operative features that will be hereinafter more fullyexplained in combina tion with the drawings.

The objects of my invention are, lirst, to remove in such Wheels themain resilient function from the external tire, which exposed toaccidents and destructive wear; sec ond, to dispose a pneumatic chamberor cushion in a secure position around the nave of the wheel, to reduceits size, seal, conline, reinforce, and protect the same; third, toprovide a non-extcnsible outer tire of solid section with a degree ofelasticity such as` is required to protect it from abrasive wil-e fromground contact and from the effects of eentrifugal and lateral strains,but readily7 transmitting compression to the main resilient members;fourth, to provide a third means of resilient action in the form ofspiral siiirings to hold the different members in contact, but reducibleto a rigid strut in case of accident to the other elastic members. Tothese ends I `screw-collars 3, as seen in Fig. II.

providedevices substantially as shown in the accompanying' drawings, nowto be referred to.

Figure l is a side elevation, partially in section, of a vehicle-wheelembodying my invention; Fig. II, a central section through the samewheel parallel toits axis; Fig. III, an end view of a clamp to hold andreinforce the coil-springs around the spokes; Fig. IV, a face view ofFig. III; Fig. V, a section on the line c a in Fig. I.

In the construction of what are called elastic and resilient wheels forvehicles, especially automobile carriages driven by power, the yieldingfunction, commonly a pneumatic 4cushion or chamber, is provided for inthe outer tire, where there is especial exposure to wear, puncture, andother accidents. This construction demands an aircontainingchamber ofgreat length and bulk, exposed to centrifugal and lateral strains athigh speeds, and other impediments that arise from adapting the tire orcushion to the two different purposes of a wheel-tire and a pneumaticcushion.

.In my invention, as already stated, the elastic and resilient functionsare divided among three separate means, the principal one being disposedaround the nave of the wheel and secure from the exposed conditions thatpertain to a tire.

I will now proceed by the aid of the drawings to explain the particularconstruction of a wheel to embody my improvements.

1 is a central shell or sleeve bearing to lit o n the axle of a vehicleor to receive an inner bearing that iits on the axle. The central memberwith two disks 2 held to the shell 1 by the screw-collars 3 constitutethe main body of the wheel. Said central member is hereinafter referredto as the nave The disks Q can be made in pairs, as shown, or may be insectors or parts to correspond with the number of spokes i and arecarefully bored or otherwise fitted to receive the required number ofthese, sixteen beingI shown in the present drawings. The parts 2,whether disks or sectors, are also held by bolts 5, as seen in Fig. I,and by a groove and interlocking annular ledges 7 on the inner faces ofthe In the IOO meeting joint between the disks2 and between the spokesis inserted a packing 27 ot rubber or ot any fibrous material commonlyused as packing disposed as shown in Fig. I.

The spokes 4 are fitted at their inner ends with saddle-pieces 8, thatbear upon a continuous pad 9, that fits over and protects the annularpneumatic cushion 10. rIhe member 9 is ot some strong fibrous materialthat will partake ot the movement in compressing the cushion 1() and issupported at the sides by the saddle-pieces 8, that extend to and beyondthe center ot the member 9 and the pneumatic cushion 10, as shown inFig. II.

The spokes 4 are extended through the bearings 12 in the disks 2 by aclose but tree working fit, the bearings 12 being provided with annulargrooves 14 tor the reception and distribution ot suitable lubricants.The sockets or bearings 12 are closed and sealed by the combined nutsand screw packing-glands 15, which inl conjunction with the packingintroduced between the disks 2, as shown at 27, Fig. I, serve to excludedust and moisture trom the working parts within the nave ot the wheel.Between the glands 15 and the telly members 17 are interposed stiffspiral springs 18, that torm one ot the resilient elements in the wheeland also by their continual outward strain serve to hold the movableparts in Contact and prevent lost motion or noise. These springs 18 havealso an emergency purpose in case the pneumatic cushion 10 is rupturedor tails. Should this occur, these springs 18 are housed and replaced byclamps 20, (shown in Figs. III and IV,) which are recessed so as to tover the springs 18, and thus form rigid struts between the nuts 15, thedisks 2, and the rim members 17, transmitting pressure trom the tire 19directly to the shell 1, as shown at 16 in Fig. I. In this case theouter rim or tire 19 provides sufficient resiliency until more completerepairing' can be done. One ot these clamps 2O as applied is shown at 16in Fig. I. The outer member' or tire 19 is also made ot resilientmaterial, but Without air-cells, and is held trom extension by endlessmetallic ropes 22, embedded in the material, as shown in Fig. II. Theseropes 22 may be more or less in number and difterently disposed, theirfunction being to prevent the tire 19 trom stretching, also to transmitcompression, lateral pressure, or 'other strain to the adjacent spokemembers 4. The tire is held laterally by the flanges 23 on the rimmembers 17 and also when required by radial ribs embedded in the tire,as shown at 24 in Fig. II.

The spokes 4 are preferably made ot a hollow section and firmly securedinto the rim members 17 and the saddles 8, which latter have an inwardrange, as indicated by the recesses 25 in Fig. II, extending well belowthe center ot the cushion 10 and the member 9.

It will be seen that the pneumatic cushion 10, the saddle member 8, andthe pad member 9 are wholly inclosed and sealed in metal structure, thelatter, 10, being surrounded to the extent ot two hundred and tortydegrees ot arc by the member 9 and are entirely inclosed in by metal.This guards against the rupture ot the pneumatic cushion 10, which isfilled with air under pressure through the charging-tube 26 in the usualmanner.

Having thus explained the nature and objects ot my invention and amanner ot applying the same in practice, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A vehicle-wheel consisting ot a nave, an annular pneumatic cushiondisposed around said nave, a series ot saddle-pieces mounted on saidcushion, radial spokes mounted on said saddlepieces, telly members borneon the outer ends ot said spokes, an elastic tire sustained by saidtelly members, and means tor preventing said tire trom stretching,substantially as specified.

2. In a vehicle-wheel, a nave, an annular pneumatic cushion disposedaround said nave, saddle-pieces mounted on said cushion, partiallysurrounding the same, a continuous pad otfibrous material interposedbetween said cushion and said saddle-pieces, radial spokes mounted onsaid saddle-pieces, telly members A carried on said spokes, and anelastic tire sustained by said telly members, substantially asspecified.

3. In a Vehicle-wheel, a nave, an annular pneumatic cushion around saidnave, saddlepieces mounted on said cushion, partially surrounding thesame, radial spokes mounted on said saddle-pieces, a tire sustained onsaid spokes, metallic disks embracing said saddlepieces and spokes oneach side, fitted around said nave, provided with annular ledges, andscrew collars grooved to fit said ledges, threaded on said nave torremovably holding said disks in place, substantially as specified.

4. In a vehicle-wheel, a metallic shell constituting' a nave, an annularpneumatic cushion around said nave. saddle-pieces mounted on saidcushion, partially surrounding the same, radial spokes mounted on saidsaddle-pieces, telly members on said spokes, a tire on said tellymembers, disks embracing said saddlepieces on each side, fitted aroundsaid nave, loosely fitted around said spokes, means tor removablyholding said disks to said nave,and packing-glands tor securely closingthe diskfittings around said spokes, screw-threaded to hold said disksand spokes in a true central plane, substantially as specified.

5. In a vehicle-wheel, a metallic shell constituting a nave, an annularpneumatic cushion around said nave, saddle-pieces mounted on saidcushion, partially surrounding the same, radial spokes mounted on saidsaddle-pieces, telly members on said spokes, a tire on said tellymembers, disks embracing said saddlepieces on each side, tted aroundandremov- IOO IIO

ably secured to said nave, said disks loosely central plane,substantially as specified.

6. In a vehicle-wheel, a nave, an annular' pneumatic cushion around saidnave, saddlepieces mounted on said cushion, partially surrounding thesame, adapted to have radial play thereon, a protective pad between saidcushion and said saddle-pieces, radialspokes mounted on saidsaddle-pieces, telly members on said spokes, an elastic tire sustainedon said telly members, with means for holding' said tire againstextension, disks embracing said saddle-pieces and spokes on each side,litted around said nave, with means for securing said disks to saidnave, said disks loosely littcd around said spokes, with means torsecurely closing and packing the apertures between the disks in whichthe spokes play, substantially as speciiied.

7. In a vehicle-wheel, a nave, an annular pneumatic cushion around saidnave', saddlepieces mounted on said cushion, partially surrounding thesame, radial spokes mounted on said saddle-pieces, felly members on saidspokes, an elastic tire sustained on said :l'elly members, disksembracing said saddle-pieces and spokes on each side, fitted around saidnave, with means for securing said disks to said nave, said disksloosely iitted around said spokes, with packing-glan ds :for securelyclosing' and packing the apertures between the disks in which the spokesplay, and resilient f springs on said spokes between said packingglandsand said ielly members to maintain tension in the said tire,substantially as specilied.

8. In a vehicle-wheel, having a nave, a pneumatic cushion surroundingthe nave, radiallymovable spokes mounted on said cushion, disks iittedto and supported on said nave and loosely embracing said spokes on eachside, fell y members on said spokes, an elastic tire sustained on saidfolly members, and springs on said spokes between said llelly membersand said ei'nbracing-disks, to maintain tension?, in said tire, andremovable clamps for embracing said springs and reinforcing them in caseof failure, substantially as specilied.

9. In a vehicle-wheel having a nave, a pneumatic cushion surroundingsaid nave, radiallymovable spokes mounted on said cushion with iellymembers on said spokes, an elastic tire sustained on said ielly membershaving' a provision whereby said tire is held against extension,substantially as specified;

l0. In a vehicle-wheel having a nave, a pneumatic cushion surroundingIthe nave, radiallymovable spokes mounted on said cushion, felly memberson said spokes and springs on said spokes to press outward. said follymembers, an elastic tire mounted on said telly members, havinginextensible cords embedded in the substance of said tire to render ithesaine inextensible, substantially as specilied.

1l. lln a vehicle-wheel provided with acentral elastic cushion,radially-movable spokes mounted on said cushion, and separate tellymembers on said spokes, an elastic tire or rim mounted on said tellymembers, having inextensiblc cords embedded in its substance, wherebysaid tire is held against extension, substantially as specilied.

l2. In a vehicle-wheel provided with means l lor radial expansion, anelastic tire or rim having embedded in its substance rigid cords wherebythe said tire is prevented from elongation while subject to compression,substantially as specified` ln testimony wh ercol:l I have signed myname to this specilication in the presence oit' two subscribingwitnesses.

CARROLL N. BEAL. Witnesses:

JOHN IH. NVARE, -M. L. Jones.

